Thursday, October 27, 2005

City likely to keep all-Democrat council - PittsburghLIVE.com

The Trib, the newspaper that should be friendly to Republicans, slams the three hopeful GOPers in their quest for city council seats. Meanwhile, the Post-Gazette, endorsed the City's GOP Chairman, Bob Hillen, over the Dem in yesterday's editorial.

Bill PedutoParty: DemocratAge: 40Residence: Point BreezePolitical experience: Four years on City Council

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SubscribeBy Jeremy BorenTRIBUNE-REVIEWThursday, October 27, 2005

Three of four Pittsburgh City Council seats are contested this election year, but none of the races represents a significant threat to the city's all-Democrat council.

The three Republican challengers have little chance to win the Nov. 8 general election in Pittsburgh, where there are five registered Democratic voters for every Republican.

Councilman Jim Motznik, of Overbrook -- the only veteran incumbent with a challenger -- faces Republican Bob Hillen, of Beechview, for the District 4 seat.

Hillen, a painting contractor, has run unsuccessfully for City Council twice before. In September, he was ousted as a member of the Allegheny County Republican Committee for endorsing Democrats running for judgeships.

In his political debut, Motznik, 42, beat Hillen, 47, in the 2001 election by a 5-to-1 margin.

In Council District 6, Democrat Tonya Payne, of Uptown, is competing with Republican Alan Perry, of Manchester. Payne, 41, upset incumbent Councilman Sala Udin in the May primary by a slim margin. She is expected to trounce Perry, 59, an insurance broker who lost a 2003 bid to become a city school board member.

In Council District 2, newcomer Councilman Daniel J. Deasy, 39, of Westwood, beat his current Republican opponent Samuel C. Berninger, 29, of Sheraden by a 3-to-1 margin in a special May primary election to finish the remaining seven months of former Councilman Alan Hertzberg's term. Hertzberg is now a Common Pleas Court Judge.

Incumbent Councilman Bill Peduto, of Point Breeze, who lost the mayoral primary election in May to former Council President Bob O'Connor, doesn't have a challenger for his District 8 seat.

Editorial: Hillen for council / The city can no longer afford business as usual

Wednesday, October 26, 2005Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

We wish we could endorse Pittsburgh Councilman Jim Motznik. He's bright, he's outspoken and we backed him last May in the Democratic primary (which he nearly lost). With almost five years as the District 4 representative, the incumbent from Overbrook will be the senior member of a relatively novice council come January -- and possibly its next president.

But we're not able to recommend Mr. Motznik, 42, for re-election for several reasons. His votes on cutting the budget -- a necessity when the city's finances are under the thumb of two state agencies -- have been all over the landscape. Two years ago, he pushed for bigger cuts than the rest of council; later, he became one of the holdouts who stalled approval of the Act 47 survival plan.

This month, when city-based nonprofits offered Pittsburgh $12.1 million in aid over three years, he said the gift was not good enough. A former public works employee, Mr. Motznik is also no fan of outsourcing, which could save the city money. Specifically, he doesn't believe using a private hauler for a portion of trash collection, as the state overseers recommend, will benefit Pittsburgh.

The alternative for voters in District 4 -- Brookline, Beechview, Overbrook, Carrick, Bon Air and part of Mount Washington -- is Bob Hillen, 47. The Beechview painting contractor is the city's GOP chairman and a council prospect who would be tougher with a buck. He is active in community groups like the Boy Scouts and the Beechview Merchants Association and, like the incumbent, he wants to improve neighborhood safety and business.

A critical difference is Mr. Hillen is willing to face the music of state oversight. He realizes the city can no longer afford business as usual and that it needs to rethink its approach to budgets and spending.

In general, Pittsburgh would benefit from a healthy two-party system in which Republicans challenge Democrats on the old ways that have impeded the city's progress. A good place to start would be in District 4, where Bob Hillen has earned our endorsement.